Homeland Security Academic Concentration

The mission of the Department of Criminal Justice is to prepare students to become leaders, outstanding practitioners, scholars, and advocates for social justice in a diverse and global society. Student learning and outcomes serve as the cornerstone for the Department's academic and learning opportunities beyond the classroom. Students are challenged to be critical and analytical consumers of information and advocates for social justice in order to be competitive in seeking employment in criminal justice and related agencies. Students are required to take courses providing a comprehensive overview of the criminal justice system and select a concentration area in Law Enforcement, Corrections, Juvenile Justice, or Homeland Security based on career or plans for future graduate study.

The Homeland Security concentration emphasizes theoretical and practical issues related to homeland security. Coursework focuses on the development of homeland security, domestic and international terrorism, legal and public policy concerns connected to homeland security, emergency management and contemporary issues. Possible careers include federal law enforcement, emergency management, state and local law enforcement.

Homeland Security Courses

HLS 3000 Introduction to Homeland Security. This course is designed to introduce the student to the scope of issues facing the American public, the private sector and law enforcement on securing the country against threats posed by domestic and international terrorist groups. Threats to American interests abroad will also be analyzed.

HLS 3200 Emergency Management and Recovery. This course exposes students to emergency management, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. The course concentrates on the recovery phase, which involves bringing the affected area back to status quo ante, and explores how mitigation for the next event ties in with recovery. Included is discussion of eminent domain in the disaster recovery context as well as the roles of federal, state, and local governments.

HLS 3500 Infrastructure Protection. This course is designed to familiarize the student with the principles of Homeland Security infrastructure protection as outlined in presidential directives, executive orders and federal and state law, court opinions, regulations, policies, and procedures.

HLS 4640 Homeland Security Theory, Policy and Practice. This course will serve as a capstone course for the homeland security concentration. Students will demonstrate their knowledge of theory, policy and practice in homeland security through their participation in a project that addresses a contemporary issue in homeland security. Best practices in homeland security will also be discussed.